Forgive us readers, for we have sinned. It has been (insert unknown number here) days, since our last NHL Celebrity Look-a-like posting. We fear that no one will ever hold a hammer to the similarities between Michael Kostka and his Asgardian look-a-like, Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth.
The Philadelphia Flyers have a huge week ahead, and a chance to gain some points against teams that are currently ahead of them in the Eastern Conference Wild Card standings. The Flyers will faceoff against the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On Tuesday night, the Red Wings visit the Flyers, who will still be without forward Jake Voracek, at the Wells Fargo Center. Voracek suffered a lower body injury and has missed the past seven games. The Flyers are 5-1-1 without him in the lineup. Philadelphia has a chance to move within a point of Detroit for the final wild card spot with a win in regulation and they have two games in hand on the Red Wings.
If the Flyers want to beat the Red Wings then they’ll need to stop the top two lines since that’s where most of Detroit’s offense comes from. Niklas Kronwall won’t be on Detroit’s blue line since he’s sidelined for one to three weeks with a knee sprain so the Orange and Black will need to take advantage of that. Philadelphia will need to try and get the first power play unit clicking again since the second unit has been scoring some goals of late. The Red Wings are only killing off 76% of penalties while on the road, which ranks 25th in the league. Philly will want to continue the balanced scoring attack since the Red Wings have given up 26 goals in their last 10 games played. Philadelphia will want to take the lead and not sit back, but keep attacking in the offensive zone while being smart on defense.
The Flyers visit the defending champions, Chicago Blackhawks, on Wednesday night. The Blackhawks have been struggling as of late especially with killing penalties. Chicago’s penalty kill ranks 26th out of 30 NHL teams at 78.3 % so the Flyers will want to produce while on the man advantage. Philadelphia will be on the second half of a back-to-back situation so they’ll need to roll all four lines and this could be a game where the goalie needs to step up big and steal one. The Flyers will need to shut down the Blackhawks top two lines, which have no problem producing.
The Orange and Black will need to stay out of the penalty box since Chicago has the second best power play in the league and both units are dangerous. The teams will need to keep an eye out on the two rookies in this game. Shayne Gostisbehere of the Flyers and Artemi Panarin of the Blackhawks, who will have an impact of the game, if given the chance.
The Penguins will visit the Wells Fargo Center for the first time this season on Saturday for a matinee game. Pittsburgh is the other team that Philly is chasing in the wild card race. The Penguins will be missing a key piece on offense with forward Evgeni Malkin out for the next six to eight weeks. The Flyers need to stay focused and out of the penalty box. The Pens power play hasn’t exactly been spectacular this year on the road, but they still have a dangerous unit that can score when needed. The Orange and Black will have to play a solid, smart game at even strength since Pittsburgh’s penalty kill is solid and ranked sixth overall.
Philly will need to shut down the top two lines of the Penguins to have a chance at winning. The top line for the Flyers will also need to step up their game, but they’ll also need some help from the supporting depth players, which they’ve gotten of late. The Flyers will need to score first and keep attacking in the offensive zone and get traffic in front of the Pens’ goalie. If the Flyers want to win then they’ll have to be smart with the puck and avoid turnovers, especially in their own zone and the neutral zone.
This week could make or break the Flyers’ playoff chances, depending on how many points are picked up or lost against the teams in front of them.
Fun fact: I gave up coffee almost 6 months ago, but still need a morning pick me up, cue matcha. If you haven’t tried this delightful little green powder, it’s a must. Occasionally I throw it in some ice water and mix it up, or I drink it with boiling water and a dash of local honey and maybe a slice of lemon. For those of you unfamiliar, matcha is ground up green tea leaves – yes, that’s it.
Since giving up coffee, I’ve become a little bit too obsessed with Starbucks green tea lattes. For their new lineup of drinks, they introduced the Starbucks Citrus Green Tea Latte. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend it. If you have tried it and now you’re hooked but like myself CANNOT justify almost $6 for a fancy blend more than once a week … I have you covered. While this version may not be as sinfully delicious as the Starbucks variety, it brings it’s own with a light citrus and mint flavor, it is my new good morning fix!
Lemon and Mint Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/2 lemon thick sliced
1/2 cup fresh mint
Directions:
In a small saucepan, dissolve your sugar into the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat.
Once removed from heat, place your lemon slices and fresh mint into your sugar water and cover for 20-30 minutes. This allows the mixture to infuse.
After 20-30 minutes, strain your mixture into your container of choice, although I do recommend glass. I used a mason jar for easy pouring throughout the week.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator. It stays good for approximately 10-12 days.
Tip: If you’re legal to drink, this simple syrup tastes amazing with vodka and soda water, garnish with a sprig of mint and a lemon slice. Or use as an unusual twist to your traditional glass of whiskey or bourbon.
You can also use the simple syrup directions but infuse it with a variety of other herbs and fruits to add some flair to both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as the spring and summer approaches.
Citrus Green Tea Latte
Ingredients:
1/2 cup boiling water
3/4 cup heated milk of your choice, because of a tree nut allergy in our home, soy is our milk of choice. However, almond, coconut or dairy milk would all suffice.
*If you’d like this to be creamier, omit the 1/2 cup boiling water and use 1 1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon Matcha green tea powder, I purchase this at our local health food store, it’s pricey but lasts a long time, even when
Lemon and Mint Simple syrup to taste, I use 1-2 tablespoons
Directions:
In a large mug, place heated milk, matcha, simple syrup.
The teams will take part in an outdoor game that will be one of four NHL games outdoors next season. This game will be the NHL Stadium Series game, which will be played on Saturday, February, 18, 2017 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. This will be the second time that Heinz Field has played host to an NHL outdoor game. The other game that was hosted at Heinz Field was the 2011 Winter Classic between the Washington Capitals and the Penguins. There is rumors of a possible rematch between the Flyers and Penguins in 2019, but the Flyers would be the home team.
The Flyers and Penguins have met 274 times since being apart of the first expansion class in the NHL in the 1967-68 season. The Flyers have an overall record of 150-86-38 against the Penguins. This will be the first time that the teams have met to play a game outdoors.
This won’t be the first time either team has played in an outdoor game though. This will be the Flyers third outdoor game since the 2010 season. The Flyers are 0-2 in their previous two outdoor games. In 2010, they visited Fenway Park to play the Boston Bruins in the Winter Classic and lost 2-1 in overtime. In 2012, the Flyers hosted the New York Rangers at Citizens Bank Park for the Winter Classic. The Flyers lost that game 3-2 in regulation.
The Penguins will be playing in their fourth outdoor game since the 2008 season. The Penguins are 1-2 in outdoor games. This will be their second Stadium Series game. They played one in 2014 against the Chicago Blackhawks at Soldier Stadium and lost 5-1. The other two games played outdoors were Winter Classic games. The Buffalo Sabres played host to the Penguins in the first ever NHL Winter Classic in 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Penguins went on to win the game in overtime. The Penguins then hosted the Washington Capitals in the 2011 Winter Classic and went on to lose 3-1.
By the end of the 2016-17 season, 23 teams will have played in the NHL’s 22 regular season outdoor games.
The Boston Bruins were coming off a two-game, four-point trip in Florida and were 4-0-1 in the last five games going into their Thursday night game hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Both teams had played on Tuesday and while the Hurricanes won theirs in regulation, the Bruins would be forced to overtime for the third game in a row.
Surprisingly, both teams came out flat, going just shy of five minutes into the first before the Canes finally registered the first shot on goal of either team, and that was the result of the power play they had been awarded when Patrice Bergeron was sent to the box for a high stick. The Canes would pepper three successive shots in 12 seconds, potting the third as hometown, Boston College alum, Noah Hanifin saucered the puck to Elias Lindholm whose shot found the back of Tuukka Rask’s net.
The Bruins responded with eight shots of their own over the next seven minutes, but with 2:45 remaining in the opening period, Bergeron would get called for another penalty, allowing the Hurricanes two more shots on net, though Boston would make the kill. Despite out-shooting Carolina, the Bruins would go to the dressing room for the first intermission down a goal.
David Pastrnak, Jordan Staal and Tuukka Rask (Photo: Alan Sullivan)
The middle frame offered an early man advantage to the Bruins when just 37 seconds in when Lindholm was whistled for holding. Though they would be unable to convert, they did get three shots on Cam Ward proving there were gaps in Carolina’s penalty kill. As the Bruins went on the power play again about two minutes later, they exploited these gaps and were able to capitalize as once again Loui Eriksson saw before him a wide open back door just as Bergeron got the puck to him.
Despite continuing to pepper shots at Ward, the Bruins couldn’t seem to find the twine—perhaps because so many of their shots were taken more than 20 feet away from the net. The Hurricanes Nathan Gerbe would put the visitors back up 2-1 with still a little more than half the period to go. And breakdowns in play and slow skating would give Gerbe a golden opportunity to go up 3-1 if not for the determination of Rask to keep the puck out—despite Gerbe somehow ending up laying on top of the Bruins net minder. Given the Bruins’ struggles to coordinate on the ice, combined with some of the slowest line changes of the season, they were lucky to get out of the second down just a goal.
The third period began much the same as the first with neither team notching a shot on goal in the first three minutes, but just after Brett Pesce’s slap shot was denied by Rask in the Boston end at 5:24, the Bruins David Krejci made a stretch pass to David Pastrnak getting him well into the offensive zone. Pastrnak was looking to make a pass when he saw Ward open some space on the short side between himself and the post and that’s the invitation Pastrnak needed to wrist it into the net.
When Torey Krug went off for hooking it was a gut check moment for the Bruins. They needed to make an important penalty kill, but they would then need to follow that up with a strong first five-on-five shift following the penalty if they had hopes of regaining some momentum in the overall lackluster game for them. Even within the faceoff circle they had struggles throughout the game.
As the clock got under two minutes remaining in regulation, there was a palpable energy from those in the stands somehow willing the Bruins to take it to overtime, thus guaranteeing at least a point for those in black and gold. There were probably about 50 in attendance who were the exception to this feeling, as they were in attendance for Hanifin’s first NHL game in Boston, and were undoubtedly wishing for a Hurricanes victory.
With his second assist of the night as Hanifin fed the puck to Jeff Skinner who then dished it to Phillip Di Giuseppe for the OT winner, it seemed fitting that he would play a role in the end of the game as he had on the opening goal. His family and friends were there to celebrate in his victory. His team even tricked him into doing a couple of laps all alone at the start of warm-ups.
The point the Bruins garnered by taking the game to overtime before losing put them in first place in the Atlantic Division. However, their lack of game left them with an OT loss and that was what they were thinking about after the game.
Noah Hanifin (Photo: Alan Sullivan)
And for Hanifin? He called it a dream come true. His team gave him the wrestler’s belt signifying his contributions in the game. He went fifth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft to Carolina and has proved to them he deserves a spot on their roster. In his 65 games he’s scored three goals and earned 13 assists for 16 points—two of those coming in Boston with his family and friends watching and sharing in the win.
While it certainly wasn’t’ the best game for the Bruins—in fact it was a mediocre game for them at best, despite the shots on goal—they still presenlyt sit at the top of their division. The majority of the hockey community wrote them off for the playoffs—even their owners Jeremy and Charlie Jacobs, along with General Manager Don Sweeney and President Cam Neely were cautious in their comments at the beginning of the season. The Bruins are a far cry from a lock, with teams in the Atlantic Division having from 13 to 16 games remaining and point variations slim, but they are also not at the bottom of the league where many expected them to be sitting. The key for them is to get back to playing their game—the one they play on the road—regardless of the rink in which their skates touch the ice.
The Philadelphia Flyers are in the middle of a playoff race so every game is important for them, and this week won’t be an easy one.
The Flyers play the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are in the middle of a nine game winning streak, twice and the Florida Panthers once. The Flyers face off against Tampa Bay first on Monday night at home, where they are 17-9-7, but the Lightning are pretty good on the road (18-12-2). The two teams will meet again on Friday night, but this time in Tampa where the Lightning are 21-10-2. Philadelphia has a 13-14-4 road record. Then on Saturday night, the Flyers will faceoff with the struggling Panthers.
The Orange and Black are 6-3-1 in its last 10 games played, which includes a 4-1-0 record at home. Philadelphia will be missing forward Jake Voracek and his team leading 38 assists again due to a lower body injury. The Flyers first unit power play now has Mark Streit taking Voracek’s spot with Shayne Gostisbehere at the point. If either team can stop the power play unit then there’s a good chance the power play will be kept off the board since the second unit hasn’t chipped in much this season.
Philadelphia will need to stay out of the box against the Lightning, especially while in Tampa, since the Lightning has the fourth best power play in the NHL while on home ice at 22.5%. If the Flyers can manage to score first and take a lead into the third period then they’ll have a good chance at winning the game. When Tampa Bay scores first they have a 29-5-0 record but when the opponent scores first the team is only 10-17-4. The Lightning have a 2-14-1 record when trailing after two periods versus a 30-1-0 record when leading after two periods. The Flyers can come back if trailing going into the third (5-19-5).
The Orange and Black will need to play a solid defensive game especially against the Lightning’s top two lines. The Stamkos line and the Triplet Line have combined for 220 points this season. Tampa Bay’s third and fourth lines have a combined 104 points, so if the Flyers can manage to somehow contain the top two lines of the Lightning, they should have a decent shot at winning. Tampa Bay doesn’t exactly have the most offensively-minded defense in the league, but the Flyers will need to keep an eye on Victor Hedman (37 points) & Anton Stralman (31 points). The defensive duo has combined for 68 points while the rest of the defense only have 43 combined points.
When the Flyers visit the Panthers, they’ll need to get off to a good start and play a solid road game because the Panthers are 20-9-4 at home. Philadelphia will also want to stay out of the penalty box against the Panthers since they convert on over 20% of their power plays on home ice. Florida has been struggling as of late, but they also have some key pieces out of the lineup right now. The Flyers will again need to score the first goal of the game and keep pressing because if they try and sit back on the lead then the Panthers will make them pay. The Panthers have a 7-17-2 record when the opponent scores first versus a 29-4-6 record when they get the game’s first goal.
If the Flyers can manage to get the have the lead after two periods, then that will better their chances to win the game. The Panthers are 2-17-1 when trailing after two periods, but are 25-2-5 when leading after two periods. The Panthers’ best period is usually the first period where they have scored 53 goals for and have only allowed 37 goals against. The Flyers will need to get off to a fast start and be sure to get the forechecking game going early.
If the Flyers want to stay in the playoff race, then they need to win these crucial games going down the stretch.
Let’s face it, after barely pulling out the win against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, most people were pretty sure that the ongoing home ice struggles would result in the Chicago Blackhawks coming into Boston and schooling the Boston Bruins. Even when Patrice Bergeron put the Bruins up just 1:18 into the first period, many fans were undoubtedly remembering other games this season that began the same way. With a quickly scored goal, there is still a lot of hockey yet to play. As the Blackhawks got the tying goal from Jonathan Toews on the power play there were some who began to give up—fortunately those wearing the retro Winter Classic jerseys in black and gold weren’t among them.
“Yeah, I mean, a lot of people doubted what we could do against top teams and that’s a top team right there and I thought we played pretty well for the most part,” Torey Krug said, acknowledging the doubters after the game. “Every game there is ups and downs and things that we can correct if you want to be nit-picky and things like that, but for the most part we played with pace and fast and I thought it’s probably an exciting game for the fans to watch.”
Actually, watching the Bruins play during the first period, it was evident that the team had energy and conviction as they continued to keep the Blackhawks from even getting shots on goal through much of the first 20 minutes. This sentiment was punctuated by Brad Marchand as he put Boston up 2-1 with a meager 22 seconds remaining in that first frame and earned his 33rd goal on the season.
The second stanza has proved particularly difficult for the Bruins this season. In what was a relatively penalty-free game, as Andrew Ladd, returning to his former team as a result of trade day activities, sat in the sin bin for high sticking Jimmy Hayes, the recently slumping Bruins power play came out firing. Ryan Spooner got the puck behind goaltender Scott Darling just six seconds into the man advantage for Boston. Bergeron, as a result of winning the faceoff, got an assist on Spooner’s goal as did Krug. The score would stall at 3-1, in favor of the Bruins, for 13 minutes before Loui Eriksson, receiving a blind pass from John-Michael Liles—who was acquired on Monday from the Carolina Hurricanes—would give the Bruins even more breathing room on the score sheet. It was a good thing too, because another last minute goal would be notched in the middle twenty, only this time for the visitors. A result of a breakdown in the Bruins defensive end, Tomas Fleischmann would get Chicago back within two goals just 50 seconds before the end of the second.
Coming out in the third, it was clear that the Blackhawks were intent on throwing everything they had at the Bruins, sensing that if they could get one goal that the game was within their grasp. While they did outshoot the Bruins in the final period, Tuukka Rask ensured that nothing went in. Even when Chicago’s head coach Joel Quenneville, in an aggressive move, pulled his goalie with more than three minutes remaining, Rask continued to deny the Blackhawks and the Bruins began to regroup and keep chances to a minimum.
“Yeah, we’ve come back in a lot of games before, so we have a lot of confidence in our group and we knew that we had a chance to come back,” shared Blackhawk Niklas Hjalmarsson about their strategy in the third. “But they did a good job and shut us down pretty well and played simple hockey and we didn’t truly get too many great chances—just a well played period by them.”
No one in the Bruins dressing room expects the remaining games of the regular season to get any easier. They will take a moment to absorb how great the win over Chicago felt, but they have their eyes already on the tough game they face on Saturday when they host the Washington Capitals.
The Chicago Blackhawks have gone from celebrating to streaking to slumping this season–and, though it would’ve been hard to guess several weeks ago, they’re in a rocking boat as playoffs approach.
Despite winning just five games of 13 in March (with two OT losses), they sit at third in the division with the Nashville Predators close behind and the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche fighting for Wild Card spots. Though they clinched a playoff berth with their March 27th 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, the following 4-1 loss to the Wild March 29 set them six points away from the division lead–a spot they held a few weeks ago. They’re also only six points ahead of the Preds, who clinched Friday, and 10 points ahead of the Wild.
March Madness
Defenseman Duncan Keith will be out the remainder of the regular season and the first playoff game after an ugly retaliatory high-stick against Wild forward Charlie Coyle.
It happened about halfway through the first period in the particularly chippy March 29 game, on the heels of an uncalled hit into the boards and high-stick to the head followed by an upending “slewsticking” trip and shove that knocked Keith onto his back in the Hawks’ offensive zone.
Then, Keith responded not by standing and squaring off with Coyle, but by swinging his stick from his spot on the ice and smacking the center in the face.
He earned the team a five minute penalty and himself a game misconduct exit–putting extra pressure on an already-struggling Blackhawks defense.
Keith talked to reporters Saturday, where he said he won’t be appealing the league’s punishment.
There’s no doubt the reigning Norris Trophy holder and major logger of minutes for the Blackhawks plays hard and with intensity.
“At the end of the day, I try to leave it on the ice,” Keith told media. “I’m not really focused on what I’m trying to leave out there as far as a reputation. I think everybody wants to have a reputation as a clean, honest player.
“There’s a line and a limit. It’s just being smarter and knowing that.”
He wasn’t smart. He crossed the line. He went beyond the limit. He’s aware and says he’s committed to change. Reporters asked if he could keep his temper in check for the sake of himself and his teammates.
“Well, I think I’m going to have to,” he said. “It’s just knowing that line. I’m a competitive person, but I don’t think that’s something that I can’t stop. I think I can stop that.”
Keith also clarified to media that he had, in fact, apologized to Coyle.
“I called and left a message, and he called me back, so I was appreciative of that,” Keith said. “It shows a lot on his part and the type of guy he is. That’s about it. They’ve got a good team and they’re playing well. I wished him the best after.”
Coyle responded to questions about the suspension.
“That’s for the league to decide. And like I said before, I think they do a good job of that,” he said. “So if that’s what they think, then that’s good.”
What’s ahead?
Just one season after Rocky Wirtz took over, giving fans television access to home games and, essentially, their team back again, the Blackhawks started what’s become an eight-year hustle–landing three Stanley Cups in the process. This year’s playoff run will start with a few challenges.
The Blackhawks face the Bruins, Coyotes, Blues, and Blue Jackets before the playoffs begin. Forward Andrew Shaw left Friday’s game early with an upper-body injury and has been listed as day-to-day. He’ll be out for Sunday’s game against the Bruins.
Marian Hossa was out due to illness following the March 29 Wild game, but is expected back in the lineup Sunday.
Goaltender Corey Crawford has been out of the lineup since an upper-body injury March 17. He started individual practice drills Saturday and Coach Joel Quenneville told media he’s hopeful the netminder will see the lineup again before playoffs.
Their first postseason game will be without defenseman Keith, but hopefully the Hawks will be able to stand strong with the rest of the lineup.
“We’ve got a lot of great defensemen and we’ve got a good team in here,” Keith said. “We’ve had experience, whether it was missing forwards, defensemen, goalies–guys pick up the slack. Whoever we play in the playoffs, it’s going to be a tough series and every game’s going to be hard-fought. I’ll be excited to come back for Game 2.”
Since he left his captaincy at Winnipeg 13 games ago, he’s had nine points–six goals and three assists. In recent wins against Calgary and Vancouver, he had three goals–one the game-winner–contributing to the valuable playoff berth-clinching points.
“Coming back here, that was the most exciting thing to think about—having the opportunity to play in those types of games again, and ultimately to have a chance to win a Stanley Cup,” Ladd told the Chicago SunTimes. “I guess you gain a certain appreciation for how hard it is just to get in. And then you gain an appreciation for every opportunity that you have once you are in, and just how much fun it is to play in those games.”
The Blackhawks have made it to the Western Conference Final the past three seasons, but have struggled against teams in the West so far this year:
Chicago vs. Dallas: 1 win, 4 losses
Chicago vs. Nashville: 2 wins, 2 losses
Chicago vs. St. Louis: 2 wins, n/a losses, 2 OT losses
Chicago vs. Minnesota: 0 wins, 5 losses
Chicago vs. Los Angeles: 1 wins, 1 loss, 1 OT loss
Chicago vs. Anaheim: 2 wins, n/a loss, 1 OT loss
Chicago vs. San Jose: 2 wins, 1 loss
Chicago vs. Arizona: 2 wins
Chicago vs. Winnipeg: 4 wins, 1 loss
Chicago vs. Vancouver: 2 wins, 1 loss
Chicago vs. Edmonton: 3 wins
Chicago vs. Calgary: 2 wins, n/a losses, 1 OT loss
Also of note
Hossa is at his 499th career goal.
In his 76 games played, Artemi Panarin has a league-13th-place 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) and six game-winning goals–an impressive stat for the NHL first-timer.
Other favorites for the Calder Memorial Trophyare the Oilers’ forward Connor McDavid, who has 45 points in 42 games (15 goals, 30 assists) and four game-winners, and the Philadephia Flyers‘ defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who is the leading scorer for rookie defensemen with 42 points (16 goals, 26 assists) and four game-winners in 59 games.
Patrick Kane leads the league in points with 96. He is in third place for both goals (40) and assists (56). Sports Illustrated calls him the “first-ever American on the verge of winning a scoring title.”
(Jamie Benn is a close second with 88 points–second place with 41 goals and eighth place with 47 assists. (The Capitals’Alex Ovechkin leads with 45 goals. The Caps hold the Presidents Trophy.) Caps’ goaltender Braden Holtby, first place in wins at 47 with a .923 save percentage and 2.17 goals-against average joins the conversation with Benn and Kane for the Hart Memorial Trophy, or player deemed most valuable to a team.)
First comes first
Of course, the Blackhawks have four more regular season games to play.
Blackhawks vs. Bruins: 11:30 a.m. CT Sunday, April 3 NBC, TVAS, RSN
Blackhawks vs. Coyotes: 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, April 5 CSN
Blackhawks vs. Blues: 7:30 p.m. CT Thursday, April 7 CSN
Blackhawks at Blue Jackets: 7:00 p.m. CT Saturday, April 9 WGN
If you haven’t been watching women’s Hockey East conference this season, now is the time to start. For a highlight reel of the conference’s top talent, the Hockey East Championship is set to take place in Lawler Rink at Merrimack College on March 5th and 6th. If the regular season is anything to go by, it’ll be one for the ages.
It has been a season for the record books in Hockey East. Boston College became just the second NCAA women’s team ever to have a perfect regular season. They are the first in the Hockey East conference (both men’s and women’s) to do it.
“It’s pretty special to be able to go undefeated in Hockey East,” says Alex Carpenter, BC’s captain. “It’s something we as a team can be very proud of, but at the same time, we’re using that … to move forward into the postseason.”
In other words: yeah, a perfect regular season record is good, but a championship is better. For a team that has performed at the top of the game all season, that’s the only goal left.
“[We’ve] gone through a lot together,” Carpenter says.
The team also boasts three Patty Kazmaier Award finalists (Alex Carpenter, Haley Skarupa, and Megan Keller). Carpenter, who was drafted first overall to the NWHL’s New York Riveters, won the award last year. If she takes it home again–not unlikely, given her record-setting season that includes an NCAA-leading 76 points, 38 assists, four hat tricks, and an absolutely preposterous faceoff percentage of 70.6%–she will become the first player in Hockey East history to win it back-to-back.
“It’s not something I’m really concerned with at this point,” Carpenter says, tone a little dry. “Obviously it’s a great honor to be up for this award, but this team is what’s most important to me going into this championship and hopefully the NCAA’s. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most.”
Though Carpenter, an Olympian and BC’s captain, is undoubtedly the team’s most widely-known player, Skarupa and Keller are both worthy finalists. Skarupa finished her regular season with an NCAA-high seven game-winning goals and is ranked third all-time in Hockey East points with 141. Just a sophomore, Keller’s defense work leads both Hockey East and the NCAA in points (44) and assists (32) among defensemen.
Over the course of the entire season, the team was scored on only 42 times. For reference, the second-lowest GA came from Northeastern–with double that number.
“There is no margin for error when it comes to the playoffs,” says Northeastern forward Kendall Coyne. “I think our team’s greatest strength is that we never give up until the game is over. We can always improve on the little aspects of our game, which we continuously focus on in practice.”
Coyne has set Hockey East’s record books on fire this season, including but not limited to her numbers for career points and goals (167 and 91, respectively), single-season points and goals (55 and 30, respectively). Coyne was drafted third overall in the NWHL draft, to the Boston Pride.
But Coyne isn’t thinking about her own performance in the tournament. “My focus is always on the team,” she says. “And in doing whatever I can to help us be successful on and off the ice. In order to be successful our team has to have confidence in each other, which I believe we do.”
If for no other reason than that this will be both Carpenter and Coyne’s last appearance in the tournament, the Women’s Hockey East Championship is guaranteed to be an incredible showcase of the sport’s best players.
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